Early Omicron Symptoms and Inevitable Infection Conditions: What Doctors Say
Omicron’s Impact on Bronchi and Children
As more people contract the Omicron variant of COVID-19, medical professionals are providing increasingly accurate information about it. Recent data has shed new light on this variant’s behavior and symptoms.
Omicron Targets Bronchi, Affecting Children Too
Medical experts confirm that the Omicron variant has a lesser impact on the lungs compared to previous strains. However, it can still cause inflammation. Dr. Igor Stoma, an infectious disease specialist and rector of the Gomel State Medical University, noted:
“Laboratory experiments conducted on animals showed that the concentration of the virus in the lung tissue of rodents infected with Omicron was at least 10 times lower than in those infected with other variants of SARS-CoV-2.”
According to Anna Popova, head of Rospotrebnadzor, the coronavirus primarily affects the upper respiratory tract, leading to conditions such as tracheitis and bronchitis in children.
Potential Long-Term Effects and Mask Usage
Doctors warn that the long-term effects of the Omicron variant are still unknown. “We are not yet aware of the potential complications that may arise from this variant. Previous variants have shown a range of long-term effects,” Anna Popova noted in an interview with RIA Novosti.
The Omicron variant most easily enters the body through the nasal mucosa. Petr Chumakov, a corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, explained that saliva in the mouth can neutralize many viruses. Therefore, walking briskly and breathing through the mouth can reduce the chances of infection. However, wearing a mask below the nose, covering only the mouth, offers no protection against the virus.
Early Symptoms of Omicron
Japanese researchers from the RIKEN Institute conducted experiments to determine the conditions for inevitable infection with the Omicron variant. They found that infection is unavoidable if you spend 15 minutes with an infected person who is not wearing a mask. Conversely, the risk of infection is minimal if the infected person wears a mask and maintains a distance of at least one meter.
Medical professionals from the UK, USA, and South Africa have identified early symptoms of Omicron, which can appear as soon as two days after exposure but may take up to 14 days to manifest. These symptoms include:
- Sore throat
- Fatigue
- Lower back pain
- Frequent sneezing
- Headache
- Night sweats (not typically in the first few days)
The Omicron variant has several sub-variants, with BA.2 being one of the most common. This sub-variant is characterized by symptoms such as cough, high fever, and potential loss of smell and taste.
Diagnosis Without Testing
Many European countries are still struggling to reach the “plateau” phase of the pandemic, where the number of cases begins to decline. For instance, Germany reported its highest number of infections on February 1, with 200,000 new cases.
Dmitry Pinevich, the Minister of Health of Belarus, stated that currently, “almost all patients with viral symptoms are carriers of the new variant.” Due to this high prevalence, “there is no point in conducting testing,” he added. The Ministry of Health has decided that doctors can diagnose COVID-19 without PCR testing, except in severe cases or hospitalizations.
